Monday, October 21, 2013

Closing thoughts for our Oct 2013 trip...


We’ve all bid “See ya next time!”, to our Ugandan family and returned back to the US.  Our physical bodies may have returned, but our hearts have not returned the same...

It is always with mixed emotions we write our last blog at the end of our trips. There’s a bit of sadness in leaving, yet excitement in returning to our loved ones we left behind.

 There isn’t a time we leave Uganda, that part of ourselves isn’t left somewhere in this
red-earthed land. I’ve heard it said, “We’ll leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place.  We stay there, even though we go away.  And there are things in us that we can find again, only by going back.  We travel to ourselves, when we go to a place that we have covered the stretch of our life… no matter how brief it may have been.”  so while we’ve returned, perhaps feeling more whole, indeed, there is part of us we’ve left behind.

Many travel with ekissa to Uganda, out of a pure state of curiosity. Others go with intent of saving the world.  However, for me (Sarah), I went in search; in search for a much larger God than the one whom many attempt to contain in a box.  I went in search of His heart beat…the heartbeat contained within those which resonates in mine.  Why?  It is the realization of my own deficiencies, that I recognize my need of more of Him.  Jesus was an advocate for the poor, and He said, (paraphrased) “It is there that you will find me…”  He was continually with the poor, the oppressed, the suffering, the orphans, the widows, the downcast, and the hopeless. It is there, I find Him. It is there, I want to be.

We’ve mentioned many times referencing how hard life is here in Uganda.  However, the sense of peace, joy, perseverance and sheer determination, displayed by the Ugandan people, continually humbles our heart.

We are a blessed people; not because we deserve it, but because we are to bless others.  There is no greater investment, than that of an individual. While we seek to find who we really are…we must lose ourselves in order to find ourselves.  It is in serving others that we find Him…and in finding Him, we find ourselves.

Curiosity seeks, faith pursues…

Blessings,
Sarah

**More pics to be posted**

I have never...



Concluding a previous trip, Bethany (a trip participant) wrote a blog titled “I Have Never…”
And with her prompting....

I have never…
·         Had to wash my children outside in a bucket with no running water
·         Walked in the elements just to get clean water or to go to school 
·         Received the clarity of life like I do in Uganda
·         Cried for the opportunity to have education
·         Heard a 10 year old boy speak about his fathers’ mistreatment to him and mother
·         Been a double orphan and homeless
·         Stolen, simply to eat a morsel of food
·         Given my child to a stranger, thinking they’d be better off, due to my inability to feed or educate them
·         Praised God in such an uninhibited way in church
·         Felt the presence of the Holy Spirit blow through my hair with every breeze
·         Understood “things” are merely that... just ”things”
·         Experienced “Jesus feeding the 5,000” through encountering an individual selflessly supporting 200 kids----realizing this individual has nothing to begin with. 
·         Seen children squeal with delight when given an empty plastic water bottle
·         Watched a child blow up a Ziploc bag to kick & use it as a soccer ball
·         Experienced or demonstrated true, genuine sacrifice…you know…the kind of sacrifice that actually hurts!
·         Met an 8 year old boy who didn’t know how to ride a bike because he’d never sat on one
·         Left my infant alone at home, for days, in order to prostitute myself to purchase food
·         Left my younger siblings at home, in order to prostitute myself, purchase food for them
·         Reach for food, and had my hand cut off
·         Told my kids we were fasting because I had no food to offer them
·         See my brother killed
·         Been beaten at school because only ½ of my school fees could be paid
·         Been the parent of a child who was sacrificed by the witch doctor
·         Been woken up at night by the “Night Dancer” and sacrificed
·         Endured daily beatings from extended relatives because I am seen as a financial burden due to the      death of my parents
·         Disfigured from boiling water poured on me, by relatives of my deceased father
·         Had to hide my family in a hole in the ground, in order to avoid corrupt soldiers
·         Killed  my father as he slept, due to years of mistreatment



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Blessings.....


Wednesday, Oct 16, 2013

As the sun has set and the moon appears suspended in the clear night sky, I can’t believe tomorrow is our last full day, here in Uganda. Returning to the guest home after a full day of activities, we were able to relax, sharing snacks and beverages with Eddie and Mark (our Ugandan friends).  The last activity of the day involved visiting the young baby that many of you may know as “Whitney” from our trip 7 months ago.  “Whitney’s” story is explained further back in the blog. You need to know that he has been taken in by a amazing Congolese refugee family, living here in Uganda and has been renamed “Blessing”.  

Indeed, this child is a blessing and we were blessed today to see Blessing.  The last we saw him, he was clinging to life, weighing roughly 11 lbs, suffering from severe malnutrition and abuse.  The child was literally starving to death.

Today we were able to meet his new family.  Francois and Sarah are fostering Blessing and desire to adopt him.  As we were approaching, we were greeted at the dirt path leading to their home, with a man looking to be in his 50’s, displaying one of the biggest, brightest, joy-filled smiles I have ever experienced.  His wife and son, Blessing, awaited our arrival on their porch. My eyes had a difficult time convincing my brain, that this plump, bright-eyed, toddler, with 2 shiny new teeth, was the same child we found in Bweya!  

It was easy to see the love Francois & Sarah have for this precious baby boy.  Treva, you will be happy to know we took LOTS of pics and we look forward to sharing them with you!  I wish everyone in the US could see first-hand, the miracle of child sponsorship.  It literally saves lives!

Having adopted children ourselves, it was a unique bond Debbie and I share with this family...the indescribable love for a child that is birthed out of one’s heart versus the womb.  

It was especially emotional for Debbie as she was the one who relentlessly pursued the tragic injustice, daily encountered, by Blessing.  Debbie slowed down on that particular Sunday, yielding to the quiet whispers of our God...and what a humbling experience.  Her 
pausing yielded life.  I pray we all are sensitive to His whispers to yield. 


"Whitney"/Blessing in March 2013
March 2013






The pictures say it all....7 months later. 


While our day may have ended with lil Blessing, our day began with a blessing as well.  This blessing was one ekissa was happy to pass along.  Thanks to the generous blessings of many of you, we were able to contact the local power company, purchase 3 utility poles & wire, to provide electricity from the main road in Bweya, to the church property!  Yes, not only will Bweya Community Church be sharing spiritual light into a dark world, but they will soon be providing physical light!

Pastor Gerald shared with us this week, that the congregation is able to collect a small tithe each week.
While ekissa has provided for the most expensive aspect of having electricity, we are challenging the church to try to raise a portion of the remaining financial needs in having the church wired for the electrical service.   So, it will take another month or two, but the church will soon have electricity!

Life is funny as "kids will be kids", no matter the country! As we sat in our van, we looked out to see a young boy swing a small hand-held broom to hit another child.  The response from the child who was hit with the broom, was to grab a live chicken by the feet, turning this LIVE chicken upside down , and begin swinging & hitting the "broom swinging bully"  with the beak of the chicken!  Did I mention this was a LIVE chicken!!  Sooooo wish we could have captured it on video.  This certainly gave new meaning to, "I've got a bone to pick with you!".  No doubt  that beak-head was screaming "fowel"!  HA!

Well, we're headed to bed as Debbie and I have averaged somewhere between 3-6 hours of sleep each night.  Thank you for praying for us and please continue as Jake leaves tomorrow afternoon and then we leave 24 hours later.

We've had an extremely fruitful trip and again, have been blessed beyond measure by the beautiful people of Uganda.

Sarah





 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Meetings All Day-enjoy the pics


The bracelet making at Bweya Community Church


Gotta Love Jake!!

Pastor Gerald, Debbie, Sarah, Mark, Pastor Robert 
and Jake in front of Bweya Community Church

Lake Victoria from the van window

Jake trying to blend in!

The Bweya community that helped make the bracelets.
Peasant bracelets will be coming home with us to sell. 100% of proceeds will return to this amazing community. Bracelets will be selling at etc. Consignment Shoppe

Children helping children

Eddie our amazing driver!! He has driven for us for several years and he is one great guy!

Holding a sweetie at church! I was scratching her back and when I stopped she would grunt!



Monday, October 14, 2013

It's a Small World..........


Good Morning my friends-or perhaps we should say sleep well my friends-

We are starting our day and you are ending yours.  We had a great day yesterday. We spent the day at Bweya Community Church. In trying to come up with ways to help support this village we thought it would be fun to share a project with them. Sarah and I both have pheasant bracelets that we bought at a conference and we can’t wear them without someone saying how much they like them. So-we made pheasant bracelets out of Ugandan fabrics. We will return with them to the US to sell with the proceeds returning back to Bweya. Not only are they made out of Ugandan fabric but they were made in fellowship with a circle of Ugandan woman and men. Although we couldn’t understand anything that they were saying-We listened to laughter and watched them all interact with one another. Their ages ranged from 16 to 75. Jake and his friend Success played a guitar and sang a few songs. It was an amazing day. They were all eager to volunteer their time to spend making these bracelets knowing that they would see the fruits of their labor in watching their community being helped.
  At the end of our afternoon we were visiting with the Pastor of Bweya Community Church, Pastor Gerald. He was talking and in the background we were hearing this high pitched music. This is a very unusual sound to hear out in the remote village of Bweya. We realized that we recognized the tune. We asked what was playing that music and they told us that it was an ice cream truck. Let us sing the song for you....

 It’s a world of laughter and a world of tears, its a world of hope .and a world of fears theres so much that we share that its time were aware its a small world after all. It;s a small world after all, its a small world after all, its a small world after all, its a small small world. By now, I am sure you are humming along. 

We are sitting under a mango tree in a remote village in Uganda-next to a stick built church  and we are hearing It’s a small world. We couldn’t even believe our ears. We just smiled as we all  knew God was speaking to us through music. He’s known that all along-it is a small world and we are all God’s creatures whether sitting under a mango tree in Africa or watching the leaves turn on our maple trees in the US. Doesn’t matter if we are white, black or in between. we are all designed for the same eternal purpose to give God glory in the midst of our shared communities. 

.... There is just one moon and one golden sun and a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide it’s a small world after all.....

  You can finish the chorus.......


Blessings-
Debbie, Sarah and Jake



Sunday, October 13, 2013

Thoughts from Jake


This morning I led worship along side an incredible team of Ugandan worship leaders at Gaba Community Church.  It was without a doubt one of the coolest experiences I have had leading worship.  The first service was English speaking.  We played songs that we would play at my home church in North Carolina.  The congregation was ready to sing... and dance.  I am sure I was cheesin’ the whole time.  I just could not stop smiling.  People jumped, fist pumped, and shouted.  God was glorified and it was so fun.  The second service was English translated into Llugandan.  I was told that we would be doing a few extra songs this service that we had not done in the first service.  When it came time to play the first “new song”, I literally had to stop playing.  I could not help but step back and just watch what was unfolding.  They began to play a few songs that were being sung in Llugandan.  I do not speak Llugandan.  I had absolutely no idea what was being sung, yet it was so beautiful.  I loved seeing and hearing a church pouring themselves out to the God of the universe in their own language.  It was definitely heaven-practice.  Oh man, I can’t wait for that day.

This is my first time in Africa.  I have done a fair bit of traveling in my short, 21 year old life, experiencing places such as China, Thailand, Malaysia, Czech Republic, and more.  I can remember going into China for the first time and being completely taken back by how different the culture was.  I am not going to say that I was “shocked” upon arriving in Kampala and the first few days that I have spent here.  And that may be the saddest part for me.  I knew I would see a third world country.  I knew I would see poverty.  I knew I would encounter the motherless and fatherless.  We hear these stories all of the time.  We read the articles and the blogs (perhaps like the one you are reading right now), and friends who have gone on trips to places like Uganda bring back incredible tales of what they saw, heard, and did.  But we do not see the faces.  As a musician, for me it is the difference between singing a song someone else wrote, and then singing a song you wrote and hearing people sing along with you.  It is personal and that is the way God intended our relationships to be.  Romans 12:15 tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”  There is nothing more compelling than to watch someone’s non-verbal expressions and to hear with your own ears while they tell you there life story.  Today, a boy came up to me to show me a song he wrote called “Testimony.”  He explained to me that he has nothing but his testimony.  We can get into the theological implications of that statement, but I understood what he meant.  He spoke of his story of redemption and how God pursued him and gave him new life.  It was personal to him.  That’s how our relationships should be.  That’s how God wired us to be.

I needed to be shown this.  I needed to be reminded that sometimes I need to be less big-picture minded.  The intricacies of the stories and the small parts of life are important.  They give the validity to those life stories.  I am learning that my efforts, too, sometimes need to be less big-picture minded.  Sometimes the “scrub the floor with a toothbrush” type of work and effort is necessary and not something that I need to hand off to someone else.  Why? Because it leads to a better appreciation of the outcome.  It is not a bad thing to get your hands dirty.  When we step into the trenches with a fellow person in this place called our world, and we see the intricacies and we see the lines in their faces and we see the burdens that they carry. Only then can we give back the appropriate love that is less about a statistic and more because they are a brother or sister. 


*Please excuse any typos due to jet lag and late nights..From this blog and past ones....thanks to my "spellchecker" Stephen.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Step Back From The Edge



I have been wondering all evening how I would explain to you what we did today. Our day started by Sarah and I oversleeping-like all the way to the time we were to be picked up by our driver, Eddie. Let’s just say that I made sure tonight that I was working with the right am/pm. 

Jake arrived late last night around 2am. He was to be here a day earlier but his flight was diverted and he ended up going around the world to get here.  Jake is an unassuming easy going fellow. He shared a funny story with us this morning about falling asleep on the plane and he woke up to people disembarking-so he followed them. He noticed that he was the only “muzungu” in the airport and then asked someone where he was. He was in Sudan. Did I mention he was easy going? He promptly got back on the plane (after taking a picture with a Sudanese who asked him what in the world he was doing there) and arrived safely in Entebbe. It was nice to have his company today. Jake also plays the guitar and is an amazing singer/songwriter. The kids and adults in the village enjoyed listening to him play today.

 As I opened the computer to type I almost shut it because I couldn’t figure out how to explain today and then I read something. “It only takes one purposed moment to step back from the edge.” That sentence really spoke to me because that is exactly what happened today. We stepped back from the edge....by turning off the “world” and listening...really listening to the voices of many that have been unheard. We interviewed 8 of the 12 boys that live at The Abbey House, run by Abbey Ssentongo. If you are unclear of who he is, then read back several blogs from trips past and you will know. The interviews are for us to bring home so that we can find sponsors for each of the boys. When we make their faces and stories real then you can connect with them. We told the boys ahead of time that we would be asking them their ages, if they knew them, about their past struggles prior to coming to Abbey’s as well as what being at Abbey’s House has done for them and how it has impacted their life. I don’t think any of us in that room realized what would come next. The first interview was with a young man that was able to tell us his name and age along with the year he is in school. But as soon as we asked the question about his past struggles he became very emotional and wasn’t able to speak. This young man is 10 years old. You should never have to stare into the face of someone that young who can’t even speak when asked to describe his life experiences. I will tell you that part of his story included him telling us that he was a double orphan ( that is the term used here for kids who don’t have either of their parents) In fact, many of the boys at Abbey’s house are double orphans. Their stories ranged from a parent who murdered himself to having parents that told them to find a place to live because they couldn’t afford them. Some were passed along to aunts and grandparents when their parents died. Some were just alone. All of them recalled times in their lives when they had days with no food or very little. One of the boys raised his sleeve showing us a 6 inch scare on his forearm. With great emotion he shared the memory that continues to haunt him to this day; after surviving several days with no food he reached to grab something his Aunt was cooking.  Grabbing a machete she attempted to cut off his hand. This was the relative who was entrusted to care for this young boy following the death of his parents. 

None of the boys, prior to coming to Abbeys’, were in school consistently. The afternoon was filled with story after story of vulnerable children merely existing, with no hope of a future. However, as each story was shared with us, their facial expressions and tones would evolve.  Their sadness turned into warm smiles and  excited chatter as they shared of the time they entered “Abbey’s House”.  For the first time in their lives their were experiencing love, acceptance, a sense of belonging, and opportunities to dream of a future.  Now, not only are they dreaming of that future, but Abbey works individually with each boy to develop goals to reach their dreams!  With grate pride and thankfulness, each boy concluded saying, “This is my home...this is my family!”  

In taking notes and participating in these videos interviews, I realized that despite  the lack of biology, these boys were all brothers, an integral part of this family! It doesn’t matter if you are blood related or not.... these boys now have a place to belong; a place where someone loves them and supports them. We should all step back from the edge....stop and listen to a co-worker, a stranger or perhaps someone in your own house. There are many people in this world (yes even including our good ole USA) that feel as if they don’t belong or feel alone.  We all have a story, and regardless of the details of that story, we were created with a need to belong...a need to be accepted...a need to be loved.  



This was taken outside of Abbey's Home-boys to right are apart of his home.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Journey To Uganda..."We're Here!"


Charlotte to Washington to Dubai to Entebbe-
    We are finally here 51 hours after we left our homes on Wednesday am. It might sound long but we were given a true blessing in the airport in Washington. Sarah and I had an 18 hour layover in Dubai. Because of our past experience with long layovers we expected to be propped up against a wall with all our luggage sleeping, with one eye open.  However, it was quite the contrary. 

A gentleman in the airport who was well versed with the Dubai airport informed us that there was a hotel IN the airport. I know it sounds hard to believe-but let’s just say our 18 hours included a hot shower a nice bed, dinner and breakfast included. We woke up this morning with our last flight to go and we were actually refreshed and in different clothes than we started with. It was an amazing opportunity to rest our bodies and minds. Thanks Peter Nolan!!

 As I contemplated what we would write tonight, I was really perplexed. What can I share that might make a difference to someone. We, of course were excited to see our friends at the airport and the rest of our day was spent Ugandan style....reconnecting  with friends and catching up on life. It takes us a while to get used to the relaxed state- that doesn’t mean everyone is lackadaisical. There are chickens to kill for dinner and fires to be started to cook on..... life is hard here but it isn’t lived alone. The Ugandan culture thrives on relationships formed with neighbors. 

 Every time the plane lands on this dry dusty soil, there is apart of me that feels totally at home. The dry land fills my thirsty soul and I can take a deep breath. In all the realities of living in a third world country, there is still a sense of peace among the chaos. As I think about how to explain to you why this peace comes over me, I am always taken back to my first trip here. Just recently I had to write about that trip and how it changed my life. I will share this with you. It is very personal for me but I have learned that when a life is put back together that many things can seep out of the brokenness. I pray it will touch someone and perhaps some can even identify......


  When I was asked recently to describe my conversion experience or how I knew I was saved I wondered to myself how much time or paper you have. I could answer the question with a standard “ I was exposed to church my whole life, involved in a youth program, etc.” and all that would be true. But, there is so much more than that..and it wasn’t until the last three years that I began my journey of walking out my faith, understanding the freedom that is offered to me by Jesus and for once learning to rest in the idea that I don’t have to work for my relationship with God. 
   In 2009 our only child, Joshua, was in his last year of college and my late 40’s were flying by. I had struggles with fear and I was determined to once and for all answer the yearnings, questions and unsettled feelings that I had carried around with me most of my life. One of the first things I did was agree to travel to Africa with a non profit. I had been warned that the enemy would begin his attack on me as soon as I said yes. And so it began....I  have described that as a period of gutting for me and many things were brought to the surface that I had to deal with. I landed on the soil in Uganda feeling like I was a different person. Little did I know this trip would forever change my life and give a whole new meaning to trusting God.
   It was in an orphanage in Uganda that I met Edith. I returned home on Dec. 15th and laid in a fetal position for 3 days. I knew that God was asking me to adopt Edith and somehow I had to convince my husband. I just knew for sure that Steve would say no and that would take care of it and I could move on with the life that I was living. Empty nest, free to do and go, totally self absorbed.
     He didn’t say no....apparently God was talking to him too.
We stepped out in complete obedience and started the adoption process in January 2010 and Edith (age 4 ) and her biological brother Derrick (age 2) were home with us in June 2010. The life that I knew had ended.
    It was through Edith that my life would begin to unfold. To be totally honest I was having a very hard time loving her. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was finding it easy to love Derrick but I just couldn’t seem to have the same feelings for her. It was through this struggle that I realized that what she needed from me I hadn’t received as a child. Once I was able to name the “deficit” then I had to come to terms with how to deal with it. You can’t give what you don’t have......I understood very clearly that attitude wouldn’t provide Edith with the mothering that she needed and deserved. God had finally brought me to the cross-I would either lay it down or I wouldn’t. 
  Several months of counseling and healing opened me up to freedom I can’t explain. I had spent my life working for everything that I had, including my relationship with Christ. Guilt, remorse and self condemnation had followed me closely. I was enlightened to the truth that those voices were not my own but rather of the enemy. All those years of hearing them and now having the freedom to call them what they really were was a very important step for me in my faith. I was being awakened to the truths of God’s love for me-the unconditional love that pursued me when I wasn’t even asking. The unconditional love that provided people in every hard place that I had been to love and minister to me. The unconditional love that had already forgiven me, in advance, for the things I couldn’t forgive myself for. It has been exciting but scary. With every struggle that I have had to name has been a truth from God to go with it. 
   God used my daughter, Edith, to teach me things about Him that I never knew. I have realized that even though we are from different continents, have different skin color and different childhood stories we share the same struggles. But we also share the same Amazing Father and with him and through him we will be healed. 
    I chose to lay it down......and my real journey with God began!


....And who knew but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this...
 Esther 4:14b     


Blessings-
Debbie Shough

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

"Never Have I Ever"


March 19, 2013

I remember playing the game “Never Have I Ever” in middle school and high school with my girlfriends (sans the alcohol) to get to know one another. Everyone starts with all ten fingers up, and the first person in the group says a simple statement starting with "Never have I ever".  Anyone who has done what the first player has not, puts a finger down. The next person makes a statement, and so on and so forth. The first person with no fingers remaining wins.  If I were to play with a group of native Ugandans, I’m pretty much guaranteed to lose.  


Never have I ever…

  • Worried the government might invade my home and kill me and my family
  • Experienced the death of a family member due to HIV/AIDS
  • Been kidnapped to be offered up as a sacrifice
  • As a pedestrian, been within inches of being hit by and oncoming vehicle
  • Been placed in an orphanage
  • Suffered from Malaria
  • Seen a dead body lying on the side of the road on my way to school/work
  • Been forced into prostitution as the only way to support my family
  • Wondered where my next meal would come from

Sadly, the majority of the people I encountered in Uganda would put a finger down for at least one of those statements. After a week in Uganda, I am much more aware of how, by God’s grace, I am able to say “Never Have I Ever.”  But I wonder, have I truly been changed?  How long will it take before I slip right back into the complacency of a cushy life?  Sure, right now I’m acutely aware that I’m not truly hungry just because its 10am and I’m used to a mid-morning snack.  I’m sensitive to the high-quality healthcare we receive in the US, and I’m mindful that even the least-desirable orphanages in the US pale in comparison to the devastating environments some of the children in Uganda face.  At what point will my experiences that are vividly in the forefront of my mind become hazy memories of the past?  I know it can happen, but I pray that it won’t.  

I think the one key to being forever changed is to continually re-live the “culture shock” we experience. For me, it means prayerfully asking God to break my heart for a people that need Him. It means surrounding myself with individuals who are broken for the same people and things as me, and it means leaving my comfort zone in pursuit of the Holy Spirit.  In the end, that might mean I have to put a finger down in a nasty game of “Never Have I Ever,” but who ever said the life of a Christ-follower wouldn’t be messy?

Bethany Reavis

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Misc Pictures


Abbey's Boys
Whitney and his mom Sharon
Jack's Everyday Scowl

God's Busting Moves-Left and Right



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

It’s getting late and I find myself resisting bedtime.  It seems this is the case every time I come to Uganda...the end of our last full day...the night before we leave to begin our journey home.

This morning I began my day with a prayer, asking God to really show himself on this, our final day in Uganda...and boy did He “bust a few moves”!

One of the things we needed to accomplish this week was to meet with a contractor. Due to the winds coming off of Lake Victoria, there are a few repairs needed at the church.  We met with the contractor yesterday and we were given the quote today.  We were able to pay for the first of three areas of work, which will complete a 2 room house on the property.  

There is a man named Muhammed who moved to Bweya Village to specifically begin a children’s ministry at the church.  He has an amazing testimony that would blow your minds.  He was a Muslim and is now a converted, “born again” Christian.  Muhammed has demonstrated tremendous dedication to Bweya Community Church by leaving Gaba, his friends, etc...to come to Bweya to serve AND receives NO pay!  Pastor Robert had been using some of the stipend ekissa has regularly been sending him, in order to pay rent for Muhammed to remain in Bweya.  It is vital to the ministry of Bweya Community Church to have a leader remain there in the village full time.  This full time presence provides stability as well as an opportunity for community development/ building relationships, and building trust with the new friendships.  It’s an opportunity for daily ministry to happen. 

As many of you know, we have been in the process of building a pig farm (piggery).  We’ve been praying for someone to step forward in the church to take the daily responsibility of caring for these pigs.  Well, God has answered that prayer!  Muhammed approached me about the fact that he is in need of finding new housing.  The house he’s renting is in extremely poor condition with the “bathroom facility” ready to collapse to the ground.  He also is in need of some regular income...

Jack, in all his discernment, suggested we offer to move Muhammed to the small, 2 room house on the property and pay him a fair wage to be the property security as well as the one to care for the piggery.  We are praising God, as Muhammed has accepted this offer!

Today was a long day for Debbie, Bethany, Muhammed and Mary Lee as they were able to take “baby Whitney” and his 20 year old mother, Sharon, to see the specialist today, while the rest of the team met with the contractor for the church.  

The baby had no intestinal blockage and it was determined that the child’s struggles were all due to severe malnutrition.  The mom informed Mary Lee  she hated her current method of employment (prostitution) and wanted a better way of life. She is a single mother as her husband was killed in an accident prior to Whitney being born.  

Our prayer has been that somehow we could get Sharon, the mother, to leave the prostitution behind...yet we recognize her desperation to simply provide for her family. So, it was a relief when she said she hated it and didn’t desire to continue! In order to alleviate some of her financial burden, we offered her an opportunity to be Muhammed’s assistant in providing daily maintenance at the piggery.  Again, we are praising God as she accepted this position 

For the next couple of weeks Sharon must spent her time with Whitney, caring for him and feeding him every 2 hours.  So this will be her focus for now. However, as Whitney’s health begins to improve, Sharon will be able to take on more responsibility with respects to the piggery.  

So, the blessings of the day have been:

  • God answered our prayers in providing a caregiver for the pigs 
  • God answered Muhammed’s prayer for a safe place to live such that he will move in the next 2 weeks
  • God answered our prayers with someone to provide security for our land
  • God answered our prayers for someone to care for the piggery
  • God provided an amazing contractor to evaluate our repair needs at the church
Another amazing blessing is that everyone was gracious in their gifts for Abbey before we left the US; so much such that he is able to have the much needed surgery to remove the metal rod in his leg, which was the result of a terrible taxi accident about 9 months ago.  Due to the accident, Abbey lost his job during the recovery period. I don’t know how he has done it until now, but despite all of the opposition he’s encountered. He remains strong and dedicated to the 10 orphaned boys he’s taken in.

I must also recognize the blessing that God has given ekissa through the relationships we have with ‘Landowner Robert” and his son Mark.  Mark is the individual who has been responsible for building the piggery.  He has selflessly given his time and talents while working his father’s farm and attending a local university...all, accepting no compensation but doing it for “the glory of God!”.  We are grateful for the leadership he provides at Bweya Community Church.

Added to this list of relationships is also Bob and Mary Lee Bolitho.  It seems God is not only blessing their ministry but they bless ours every time we are incountry as well as they assist us in the ministry at Bweya after we return to the US!  We couldn’t be as effective without them!

.....It is now Thursday afternoon and we packing for the airport. We intended to write some more but here in Uganda we have learned to be flexible every day in every situation. We will finish details when we safely land in North Carolina. Please pray for safe travel. 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Baby Whitney


It’s Wednesday March 13 and we’ve not posted on the blog in a couple of days.  We’ve had electricity but honestly have been too tired to write at night.  I, personally, have been heavy-hearted over a baby named, Whitney.  Little Whitney is 18 months old & weighs only 11 pounds!  

We first met Whitney on Sunday at Bweya Community Church.  After much worship through music, the children are led to the canopy of a mango tree, for children’s worship.  There are two individuals, Muhammed and Jacob, who have taken the leadership of establishing a children’s ministry.  Part of this children’s ministry involves providing a meal of porridge; a milky substance similar to our oatmeal, but much more watery. The porridge has very little nutritional value and looks like gray water.

Muhammed wanted us to meet Whitney and he shared that the parents of this child do not attend the church.  However, his 6 year old cousin brings him every Sunday in order to receive food. No one knows who Whitney’s father is, but the mother is a local prostitute, who often leaves Whitney for days at a time, alone, with nothing to eat.  Whitney is a defenseless soul, enduring the ramifications of this sinful world.  He’s taking on pain and suffering, yet deserving of nothing but love.

As we removed Whitney’s clothing to get a better understanding of just how undernourished he was, I was immediately sickened at the gross neglect my eyes were seeing.  I’ve traveled to Uganda many times throughout the last 4 years.  One trip included traveling to the north to feed an area where 5,000 women and children are on the brink of starvation. But as I see the skin barely clinging to the skeleton of this child, I was again pierced by the tremendous injustices of this world.  Not only was I sickened, but I was angered to a degree in which I had not experienced in a long time.

I was left asking, “What is wrong with us?” God has provided enough resources throughout this world such that no child should NOT endure this level of suffering. We are a selfish people, rising to such levels of financial blessings, yet it is to the expense of others, such as Whitney? 
Many could immediately become incensed with his mom.  However, I believe she's doing the best that she's known how to do up to this point.  We greatly underestimate the level of education and "know how" of people in third world countries.  We forget that due to past regimes, there are children raising children as well as young adults who have been ushered into adulthood without parents.

Muhammed has interceded and talked with the mother.  She gave permission for us to provide Whitney a visit to a local doctor.  Whitney was taken to the doctor where he was treated for a respiratory infection and the obvious was stated....”severe malnutrition”.  

As we shared information and pictures of Whitney with MaryLee Bolitho (an american and close friend who serves as a missionary here in Uganda). Mary Lee expressed concerned of the potential of an intestinal blockage.  She commented that the body appears to be eating itself.  So, again, the mother has given permission for the baby to be seen by a physician...this time, a specialist. That appointment is today!

Please pray for Whitney, the physician as well as the team as we are all burdened by this situation.